Year: 2015

Ballymena Today Wednesday Wishlist

Posted by | Sep 30, 2015 |

Here at Ballymena Today we love to support local businesses. Today we decided to create a Wednesday wishlist featuring some of things that we would love to get our hands on. From pretty bits for your home to yummy treats here are some things which we got excited about this week. 1/ If rugby is currently taking over your life right now then you may as well let a rugby player take over your wardrobe too. Sam’s Yard has had a facelift and are selling a lovely new mens range. Rugby player Tommy Bowe has introduced his own ine of clothing. Tommy Bowe designs are great quality, wearable casual pieces which will slip easily into your wardrobe. Head to Sam’s Yard to check out the XV Kings range and enjoy the Rugby World Cup! Sam’s Yard in on Wellington Street in Ballymena. 2/ Brighten up your living room as the dark nights creep in. We love these pretty lamps from Designer Home Interiors. Located on the Main Street in Broughshane it isn’t far from Ballymena and we think that this pretty shop has lots to offer. Click here to see more form Designer Home Interiors on Facebook. 3/ Get kitted out for the winter weather We have fallen for these amazing knitted hats from Scallywags in Ballymena. The knitted dresses are also avaliable in sizes 3-10 and we reckon that they would...

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Meet Local Author John McAllister at Waterstones Ballymena

Posted by | Sep 30, 2015 |

Waterstones in Ballymena is set to host local Ballymena Author John McAllister this Friday night. John is the writer of Ballymena bestseller The Station Sergeant and is returning with a book that we are sure will be equally successful. Meet Local Author John McAllister at Waterstones Ballymena Here are some more details: This Friday 2nd October from 7pm. Local author John McAllister will be here to officially launch his new book ‘Barlow by the Book‘, the second in a series about a Ballymena police sergeant. If you have read John’s first book then you will be keen to find out more about the Ballymena based bobby! His first book, The Station Sergeant, is a crime novel set in Ballymena where author John was born. Set in 1959 and 1960 the book introduces John Barlow, the new Station Sergeant in the town. This is a thrilling crime novel with twists, turns, murder and even cattle stealing! This book has captured the interest of many local folks who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s and we are sure that the latest instalment will receive and equally enthusiastic reception. Waterstones stock lots of books which are of local interest. If you are from Ballymena or know someone who is interested in our town then here are a couple of other books which we would recommend.   Ballymena: City of the Seven Towers Author...

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Man Booker Prize Shortlist

Posted by | Sep 29, 2015 |

The Man Booker Prize Shortlist has been revealed and there are lots of interesting books up for the yearly award. Each year a team of judges read through lots of fiction books to curate a list of reads which represent the finest examples from the past year. This year the shortlist represents a wide variety of subject matter and writing styles. The shortlist is: Marlon James (Jamaica)                A Brief History of Seven Killings (Oneworld Publications) Tom McCarthy (UK)                       Satin Island (Jonathan Cape) Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria)              The Fishermen (ONE, Pushkin Press) Sunjeev Sahota (UK)                     The Year of the Runaways (Picador) Anne Tyler (US)                             A Spool of Blue Thread (Chatto & Windus) Hanya Yanagihara (US)                  A Little Life (Picador) Photo Source So which one will you be picking up? We enjoyed following the Man Booker Vloggers on Youtube who guided us through our choice but here is our quick guide: 1/ A Little Life – This has been tipped as the winner despite its length and subject matter. If you decide to give this book a read then be aware that there are lots of trigger warning concerning abuse. A raw but fearless novel. When four graduates from a small Massachusetts college move to...

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S McAfee and son in Ballymena launch new blog

Posted by | Sep 29, 2015 |

S McAfee and son in Ballymena recently launched a new website. The website features a blog where they will regularly write about the cars they have on sale. S McAfee and Son are a local family run business. They sell new, nearly new and used cars with trade ins welcome. They offer flexible finance plans to make sure you get the car you want at a deal that suits you best and they have carry out car servicing. The blog features the cars they have for sale including this Citroen. The new blog website offers you a look into the world of the Ballymena business. This isn’t your average car sales website but has lots of useful content including videos showing you how to check your oil. One of our favourite blog posts do far is “A Lap with Victor” featuring Victor McAfee enjoying one of his favourite motoring pass times. Victor has years of experience in the motor trade and has a superb knowledge of the industry. He attributes the success of S McAfee & Son largely to the team around him and his strong emphasis on customer care. He still enjoys his stock car racing, where he likes to be known as the ‘young’ veteran. We thought it would be a lot of fun to go on a lap with Victor in a stock car. Click here to...

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The Dojo Martial Arts and fitness centre Ballymena

The Dojo Martial Arts and fitness centre Ballymena

Posted by | Sep 28, 2015 |

Ballymena has its very own Martial arts centre – The Dojo. Situated at the Woodside Industrial estate The Dojo is a purpose built martial arts & training centre run by & for the community. They first came to our attention when we spotted this video of Spiderman visiting one of their events. Here is some more information from the Dojo website. The Dojo is a Community Interest Company meaning that all profits made at the Centre go back into its development and the development of the coaching and support staff. This in turn will benefit you the student, as you...

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